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Limping Weinstein Pleads Not Guilty to Rape in NYC

Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty to rape and criminal sex act charges after appearing to limp into a Manhattan courthouse Tuesday, days after a grand jury indicted the former movie mogul in cases involving two women. Chris Glorioso reports.

(Published Tuesday, June 5, 2018)

Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty to rape and criminal sex act charges after appearing to limp into a Manhattan courthouse Tuesday, days after a grand jury indicted the former movie mogul in cases involving two women.

Wearing a navy suit and tie, Weinstein stepped out of the rear passenger seat of a black SUV and looked, stone-faced, at the waiting crowd before joining attorney Benjamin Brafman on the street and walking inside the courthouse.

He said nothing to the scrum of reporters yelling, "Harvey, Harvey!" as he walked past, though did grin on his way into the building.

The not guilty plea came moments later. Bail conditions remain set at $1 million. Brafman reiterated his intent to vigorously defend the case and slammed law enforcement for alleged "leaks" in the case.

"I think today is the first day of this process. We begin our fight now," he said, adding that his defense would include trying to get prosecutors to drop the case. "If we are successful, there may not be a trial."

And if there is a trial, Brafman said he's confident his client will be vindicated. He also said he may include the name of one alleged victim who has not been publicly identified in a subpoena at some point.

That unidentified person told investigators that Weinstein cornered her in a hotel room and raped her. The other accuser, former actress Lucia Evans, has gone public with her account of Weinstein forcing her to perform oral sex at his office in 2004.